Living in the northwestern region of the state of Montana, a semi-arid climate with only about seven inches of precipitation annually and highly mineralized alkaline soils. Beautiful country filled with cattle, hay fields, huge sky and surrounded on all sides by forested mountains. I share all this with mule deer, whitetail deer, elk, and the big horn sheep (followed by cougars, coyotes, foxes, wolves, and bears) with trumpeter swans, Canada geese, many duck breeds, and other various wildfowl hanging out in the back yard. The hot water springs all around keep most of the animals and fowl year round, so keeping them out of the gardens and the predators away from the domestic birdies is a full-time "entertainment". I am loving every moment for the past 27 years, and still hoping for some part of that global warming thing. I can get frost every single month of the year, have a ninety degree day turn to a forty degree night, one winter get low temps of minus thirty and the next winter only to ten degrees above the zero. But this is Montana, after all. I raise meat and egg-laying chickens, grow irrigated grass and alfalfa for hay and lease pasture for horses and cattle. I also raise Australian Cattle Dogs (blue heelers) for my MT neighbors. My gardens are spread all over the place, fenced to keep out cattle, and they are about seventy-five percent seeded with Sand Hill Preservation Center seeds. I highly recommend the seeds to everyone who visits, along with certain varietals from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and Pinetree Seeds companies, when asked about the plants, many of which some people say they've never seen or tasted. I am a fifty-something widowed woman having a hugely blessed life!